Module 3: Case studies
Active Australia Innovation Challenge (AAIC) case studies
In this module, you’ll hear from past grant winners who have successfully strengthened their health and activity initiatives using community-led approaches. Through their stories of wins and challenges, you’ll see how these strategies can be brought to life in real communities, providing practical insights and inspiration for your project.
This module will explore:
- The experiences and learnings of past grant recipients
- How projects have created meaningful health and activity outcomes
- Key takeaways to help you apply similar strategies in your initiative
Learning outcome:
By the end of this module, you’ll gain real-world insights from past participants, understand how community-led approaches have created change, and walk away with practical ideas to strengthen your project.
Active Australia Innovation Challenge case studies
Case study videos coming soon!
Our case study videos are on the way! In the meantime, explore the projects below to read about other grant winners’ experiences and how they brought their ideas to life.
Quick links
Case study 1: Fitness Fun for Everyone
Case study 3: Surfing the Spectrum
Case study 4: Kicking Goals for Men’s Health with Aussie-FIT
Case study 5: Project Mindful Hearts
Case study 1: Fitness Fun for Everyone
Snug Primary School in regional Tasmania were committed to getting their community active and feeling connected, particularly with the difficulties experienced through COVID-19. Again, this project was very successful in their reach: by thinking outside the box and opening up their school to the broader community, they were able to reach people who may have been feeling isolated.
Using the school’s new gymnasium facility, project facilitators created a timetable of exercise classes from Monday-Friday, which were free for the whole Snug community. This encouraged around 60 participants per session from ages five to 65 participating in classes. This has benefitted participants by not only getting their heart rate up more regularly, but it also helped build social networks in the community, and culturally and linguistically diverse parents or people with significant family challenges have utilised the program.
Snug Primary School also successfully acquired equipment and resources from community and business donations, such as yoga mats and soccer goals, and leveraged the success of the program to apply for further grants to create a bike track on their oval. They conducted a survey to find out the community’s favourite sessions and are continuing their successful program.
Key insights & learnings:
- Innovation can look like thinking creatively about resources (such as a gymnasium) and ensuring these resources are used to their maximum potential.
- Free initiatives were successful in re-connecting people after the tough COVID-19 period.
- A feedback survey was conducted with participants and from this, the school has continued to run the community’s favourite sessions.
I can’t believe that I have such an amazing gym program happening right across the road from my house at the Primary School. I haven’t ever attended the gym, and I have found myself feeling sluggish, and I needed an incentive to get out and do something. My husband has been supportive coming home from work just in time for us to change over with the kids so I can get to each of the classes. I figured if I can’t make it to a local free class, I’m never going to do anything, so this is my moment!”
Program participant
Case study 2: Traversing Wall
Prior to being part of the AAIC, school students at Ashfield Public School in Sydney had little opportunities to improve their hand-eye coordination and upper body strength. One solution to this problem was the installation of a traversing wall. With the AAIC funding, a colourful wall with climbing holds and a soft fall floor was installed. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive from parents, kids and teachers.
One of the most successful elements about the Traversing Wall project is the additional $7,500 the school was able to secure through partnerships with local businesses and parents. Engineering certification, paint and plaster, paint brushes and rollers and the mural design and implementation were all provided in-kind and cash donations were also received. The next step for the project is to take part in the NSW Education Department’s ‘Share our Space’ program which will see members of the public able to access the wall.
Key insights & learnings:
- Communicating the needs of your community well (e.g., the need for school students to access better play equipment) is a key element in galvanising sponsorship.
- Incorporating fun design can make a physical activity more attractive - kids were more excited to use a colourful climbing wall.
- An energetic and passionate project leader is critical to making a project work when challenges arise.
Once I did the Zoom course about using the grant to try and get more money, I realised we could make the wall look really fantastic – which is why I went about securing another $7,500 worth of monetary sponsorship to make the wall longer, plus volunteers to create the mural design and install it, and the undercoat painting, and I got Dulux on board to sponsor all the paint.”
Ashfield Public School grant winner
Case study 3: Surfing the Spectrum
‘Surfing the Spectrum’ is a non-for-profit organisation using surf therapy to positively impact the lives of autistic youth and their families. Water experiences are understood to have a therapeutic effect for many autistic children, in part because it seems to provide a source of sensory and emotional regulation. Furthermore, the participation of children with disabilities in recreational activities promotes inclusion, minimises de-conditioning, optimises physical functioning, and enhances well-being.
Using the AAIC grant, Surfing the Spectrum successfully hosted two events in Lennox Head and Cave Beach to get more individuals with autism and their families outdoors and moving, engaging in community events, and promoting water safety. 180 families took part in the two events.
Working with a vulnerable, immuno-compromised community, it was imperative that the organisation took every precaution and cancelled in-person events during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time the team became creative in engaging families in their community via social media, and developed and hosted important training and educational sessions for their volunteers to better inform and equip them for when events could resume. During COVID-19, 87 volunteers were trained, creating more awareness around autism within the community.
Key insights & learnings:
- By making an activity fun and making the pathway tovolunteering easy, people are more than willing to get involved.
- Employees or volunteers with occupational therapy backgrounds can bring a wealth of knowledge about the ways in which physical activity can be therapeutic for people with different needs.
- A clear and attractive organisational vision and brand canattract sponsorships and community support.
Case study 4: Kicking Goals for Men’s Health with Aussie-FIT
‘Aussie-Fans in Training’ (Aussie-FIT) is an evidence-based program that uses men’s passion for sport to make getting active and healthy more fun. The program is based on the highly successful Football Fans in Training (FFIT) program in the UK. The Australian adaptation of the program, led by Curtin University, involved 12 weeks of a weekly 90-minute coach-led footy-themed education and physical activity session centred on changing physical activity and healthy eating behaviours.
Thirty men, aged between 35 and 70 years living with overweight or obesity and that were connected to the Swan Districts Football Club took part, seeing an average weight loss of 3.35kg and an average reduction of 8.36cm of their waist circumference.
The program provided a unique opportunity to men to:
- Take part in sessions designed specifically for men
- Challenge themselves with realistic and attainable physical activity goals
- Increase their knowledge of healthy eating
- Reduce their weight and waist
- Learn how to sustain their new lifestyle longer term
- Experience a unique sport focused health and fitness opportunity
- Meet like-minded guys, in a supportive, easy-going and sport-focused atmosphere
This project demonstrates project sustainability through the scalability of the program. Curtin University has now been awarded funding from the Heart Foundation to scale up Aussie-FIT to more locations in WA and scale out to Queensland and Northern Territory.
I really enjoyed it. We all think we know right from wrong or justify things to ourselves, but the reinforcement of education and exercise was great. I aim to continue with the good habits and lose more weight as I dropped about 7kgs over the 12 weeks.”
Program participant
Case study 5: Project Mindful Hearts
Project ‘Mindful Hearts’ saw Yogazeit, an organisation focused on improving mental health outcomes for school students through yoga and mindfulness, consult and engage with four communities in the remote Kimberley region. Over 200 children, 50 educators, and more than 200 family members were introduced to physically healthy activities and benefits of mind-body connection through their first free event. Yogazeit has invested significant time into consulting and engaging with the community to ensure the next steps of the program meet the needs of their priority group (primarily First Nations children).
This program utilised the AAIC funding as seed funding, using the grant to secure an additional $200k from partners. The project has also confirmed a research partnership with Monash University, University of Queensland, University of Western Australia and Telethon Kids Institute. The research component will help Yogazeit evaluate the benefits and outcomes of Mindful Movement, shared in a peer reviewed paper in 2023.
Key insights & learnings:
- Community engagement, to ensure the program meets the community’s needs, should be the priority of any grant winners.
- Piloting a program through a free event/trial period can be a good indicator of future success.
- Incorporating a research component can add additional resources and demonstrate and prove positive impacts.
Case study 6: binGO move
‘binGO MOVE’ started as an innovative idea to make the traditional, sedentary game of bingo more active. Grant winners IPC Health (Improving and Promoting Community Health) used the AAIC funding to build the ‘binGO MOVE’ game, market the program, complete a pilot group and roll it out in their community of Wyndham.
The IPC team was able to pivot between Zoom and in person games as they responded to Victorian lockdowns and participant feedback, delivering 36 sessions of ‘binGO MOVE’ in 2021. Each session consisted of 2 games of ‘binGO MOVE,’ informal conversation time during breaks, health messages and health promotion prizes. The program aimed to improve both mental and physical health through this program by offering a fun, safe and social exercise program. Participants rated the program at 9.7 out of 10 on average, with many mentioning their improved mobility and how much they love the social aspect of the group.
The program was built by four staff members at IPC Health with 40 referrals received and 20 regular participants across the 8 months. Each participant was screened by a member of the IPC team to ensure we provided a safe space for them to exercise. Out of their regular participants, ages ranged from 50-88 years of age, with 30% being male and 70% being female.
I’ve had three clients that attended binGO MOVE group this week and had a fantastic time. They really enjoyed themselves and didn’t even realise they were exercising! Thanks.”
Nicole and Lisa IPC Health